Reincarnated Relationships
by Professor Sexymore
Summary: Light Yagami is at the brink of death when L, the detective who supposedly died a long time ago, appears and rescues Light from his fate. The reunion brings new emotions and a new adventure between the cast of characters. LxL later. Alternate Ending.
1. At the Brink of Death

****Check my profile for a full summary of everything so far**  
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**The idea for this came to me when I rewatched the last episode and saw L standing over Light. It's rated for future violence, language, and _maybe _yaoi. Not too sure what I'm making them do yet. ;) **

**Well, enjoy the first chapter!**

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><p><em>No…no… I can't lose this easily… I can't..<em>

Light collapsed on the stairs in an abandoned building, bleeding from the bullet holes Matsuda had put in him. _I had all the calculations.. With L gone, no one was supposed to stand in my way. How was I supposed to know the bastard had successors.. I underestimated Near… This is my punishment for it. _He clutched his chest, heaving in breaths of pain and exhaustion. His white shirt was soiled in blood, as was the rest of his clothing. If he had been bleeding that much, he must have left a blood trail. It wouldn't be long before the task force caught up to him. It was all over. "Dammit.." he breathed. "Why can't I just die here? I have nothing else to live for."

"So Light-kun was Kira after all."

Light froze as he heard a familiar voice. A voice that was supposed to go away 6 years ago a long with its owner. He slowly moved his gaze in the direction it came from. A figure stepped out of the shadows, leering down at him. His eyes widened. _Baggy jeans.. huge, loose shirt.. hard, obsidian eyes.. Messy, black hair. No.. It can't be.._

Light wanted to deny it, but there was no mistaking it. It must have been some crazy hallucination he was going through, perhaps cause by shock. _Yeah, that's it. Rem killed L a while ago, people can't come back to life! I'm just thinking too much about this. _A wave of pain from his arm snapped him back into reality. Light clutched his arm, blood seeping through the fabric as he winced. No... It felt too real. He forced his gaze to meet the other man's. "L…Ryuzaki.." His gaze hardened. "How?"

"It's surprising how easy it is to fake your own death, isn't it Kira-kun?" L tried to remain a serious expression, but he couldn't help but smirk a little.

He flinched at the voiced. "Impossible... You had no pulse... I must be hallucinating from blood loss," Light insisted, mainly to himself. "Either that, or you're from the afterlife, here to watch the life drain out of me."

"I can assure you that you are not hallucinating," came the monotonous reply. "And unlike you, I don't get overjoyed when someone is dying beneath me."

Light knew he was referring to his own "death", when Light had looked down on him in sick satisfaction as L was "dying". But he decided not to debate something so minor, and continue with the current issue. "But.. Why..?" Light panted. Talking was becoming extremely difficult with the pain he was going through. "Why did…you…"

"Save your breath," L sighed, moving closer to Light. He pulled out silver handcuffs that were all too familiar with Light. He could only watch as L attached one of the cuffs to his left wrist. "We need to hurry, the task force will be here soon."

"Going to hand me over to them yourself, eh? How noble of you." Light growled, glaring up at the quirky detective.

"No, Kira-kun. I am helping you escape," L replied bluntly. "Now hurry, Watari is waiting at the top of the building and in your current state of health, you won't make it much longer."

Light widened his eyes. _No way.. And here I am waiting on my death, and he just waltzed in here, saying he faked his death, and now he's helping me escape? _The mass murderer shook his head. It was too much for him to handle. "No, Ryuzaki. This is too dangerous, you'll be killed if you're seen helping me."

As if he wanted his help anyway. The fact that Light had not seen through the detective's charade was humiliating enough. But his life was slipping, and there's no way he'd be able to make it without a doctor. And even if he made it to a doctor, it would only be a matter of time before the task force found him. He has no other choice but to accept L's offering for help. Light looked away from L, defeat reflecting in his eyes.

L smirked slightly, as if amused to see Light in such a weakened state. "The only people who know who I am thinks I died a long time ago. Besides, I'm L. I can completely disappear if I want to and I can make anyone I want disappear as well." _Yes, you have made that obvious. I know L pushes boundaries, but I never expected something like this. But why?_

L climbed over the railing on the stairs in an awkward yet feral fashion, landing on his hands and feet so that he was crouching above Light, his wide owl eyes burning holes through him. "This may hurt a little, but I have already requested to Watari to have doctors with him."

Light felt L pull him up gently and put his arm around Light's shoulders to support him. "Watari is alive too?"

"Yes, I convinced him to fake his death as well to make it convincing," L answered, his gaze fixed towards the top of the stairs as he tightened his grip on Light.

"You really thought this through." Light commented and leaned against L for support.

L shrugged with one of his shoulders since the other was supporting Light. "Not necessarily. The whole plan was made in a matter of two days, and even then I was unsure exactly what my actions were going to be after it was carried out. But this can be discussed another time, your health is the key issue right now."

The pair began to move up the stairs, being slow and careful. Light looked up at the young man, examining his face. It was expressionless, as always, but something else was there. Perhaps it was determination? Determination to save his arch nemesis? Why had L gone this far to do something like this? Light wanted to ask him, but he was starting to feel very dizzy and he could barely put one foot in front of the other. Eventually he felt he was being dragged up the stairs by the detective. "Kira-kun, all you alright?"

Light heard L speak to him, but he couldn't make out what he said. The room was spinning and his vision was beginning to blur. He feebly shook his head, though he was unsure what he was disagreeing too. His vision began to slip as they reached the top of the stairs and he felt his body begin to go limp. "Kira-kun?" L's voice echoed in the back of his head. The murderer wanted to reply, but even thinking was hard when you're slipping out of consciousness. L hesitated, before leaning in towards Light's face. "…Light-kun? …Watari- quick!"

Light felt his eyes flutter open, squinting through the darkness. Had he finally died? Is this where those who owned a death note went to after death? No... Those who owned a death note didn't have the luxury of afterlife. Could that mean he survived? He glanced around his surroundings, discovering he was in a small room. To the right of him, he made out a small wooden nightstand with a lamp sitting on top of it. He reached up, his hand shaking as he felt his fingers reach the switch . He flipped it on with a simple twist, before settling back on the bed he was sitting on. Light flooded into the room, causing him to flinch slightly in the sudden brightness. He felt the surface of the bed shift slightly. "Kira-kun. You're awake."

Light's heart stopped as he heard that voice, instantly reminding him what had happened. The task force knew he was Kira and was after him. L was alive and rescued him. "Do you remember passing out?"

Light nodded slowly, turning to face the one who saved him. L had his eyes glued on him, yet he seemed distant. "I made the wrong decision." he sighed after a while, turning away from Light. "I should have let the task force find you. I let my emotions cloud my judgment."

"Yes, about that Ryuzaki.." Light began, confused about L's comment but deciding to ignore it. "Why did you fake your death in the first place? And why did you help me escape? You promised the world Kira's head and you do something like this?"

"I admit this may not seem like me, Kira-kun, but.." L turned his head towards Light, making eye contact with him. "I faked my death and helped you escape because I couldn't give the world Kira's head."

This made Light even more confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you are Kira."

Light hesitated, looking L over. _What was he trying to say? That he couldn't kill me because I am Kira? That never stopped him before, why would it stop him now?_

"…Yes… We have established that." Admitting that he was Kira to L was harder than he expected it to be, but he had no choice. His immediate response to L when it regarded Kira was denying it, but he had to remind himself he already knew. "But shouldn't that make you want to kill me even more? After all, Kira is your enemy."

L looked away from Light, his face becoming more distant. "Yes, Kira-kun is my nemesis.." He looked back up at murderer, his wide eyes staring into Light's. "But Light-kun isn't."

This took Light by surprise. "But, Ryuzaki.." he started. "They are the same person-"

"No they aren't." L interrupted. "When you gave up your memories of the Death Note, you were Light. We got a long great- for the most part. You were a large help to the investigation, because you didn't have your memories. And because in your mind you were innocent, you acted innocent."

His face darkened. "When you got them back, you turned into Kira. You were very edgy, and you acted more suspicious when I brought up Kira to you. And you stopped being any help to the investigation, because you were Kira once more. I want to kill the one who despises me and does nothing but evil to this world. I want to save the one that has a strong sense of right and wrong and has the potential to be a great detective like me someday. I want to kill Kira, not Light."

Light's mouth gaped open. He had never heard L say something like this before. It surprised him, confused him. He had always thought L hated him as much as Light hated L. But now L was saying he only hated Kira, but not Light. What was he talking about, did he think Light had multiple personality disorder or something? He can't kill Kira without killing Light, because they were the same person. Didn't L realize that? But what confused him more was that it appeared that L cared about him. L never cared about anyone. He was like Light, he was afraid emotions could get in the way of making the right decision. Was Light the exception?

"I faked my death so that I wouldn't have to be the one to kill you." L went on when Light didn't respond. "I knew my successors were more than capable of executing you, but I didn't expect you to get attacked like that. You were bleeding so much, Kira-kun. It was scary." L looked away from Light once more, gazing at his laptop.

"It's probably because you care about me," Light suggested, laying back on the bed. "Most people can't watch people they care about die in front of them, especially if they feel they caused it."

"Yes, perhaps..." L murmured, not really paying attention to what Light had said.

Light examined the room more closely. At the far right of the room, a door led into from what he could tell a bathroom. And mirror hung on the wall with a sink under it. A wooden nightstand sat on both sides of the bed, each with identical glass lamps. The bed L and Light sat on was a queen sized with a dark green comforter and pillow cases. A TV sat in front of the bed, pressed against the wall in front of him. From what he could tell, there wasn't anything more other than a closet that had a few changes of clothes tossed inside in an unorganized pile. "Where are we exactly?" he asked finally.

L popped a sugar cube in his mouth and tilted his head back at Light to answer his question. "In a hotel, though we might have to move out of the country if the task force gets too close."

"I thought you said L could disappear if he wanted to." Light muttered.

"It's always important to be careful, Kira-kun."

"Could you not call me that?" he snapped. It bothered him to hear L call him by his alias. It could be because it's basically admitting his defeat, but that didn't feel right. There was something else.

"Why not? That's who you are after all." L replied somewhat coldly, his wide eyes not leaving the soft glow of his laptop's screen.

"Yes, but you always suspected me of being Kira yet you never called me him by name." Light pointed out.

L pushed another sugar cube through his placid lips. "Then I only suspected you. Now I'm certain."

"Then I suppose you wouldn't care if I openly called you L." Light countered.

"I suppose not. Just call me Ryuzaki in public. If we ever go into public, that is."

Light glared at the detective, becoming more and more frustrated as the conversation continued. This was what he didn't miss about being around L. _He couldn't win. _L always outsmarted him with some sort of mind game, making him confess to things without being fully aware that he was. Though Light had to admit, he didn't mind it too much. The past few years had been rather boring since he couldn't find anyone that matched his intelligence. Light found himself slightly smiling as he remembered all the disagreements he had had with the detective.

A jingling sound caught his attention as he moved his arm. Light lifted his arm, noticing a shiny handcuff hanging loosely at his wrist. A chain connected him to L, who wore the other cuff. _Not these again.. I don't want to lose my freedom again! "_Why are we wearing these?" he muttered tiredly, then noticing that wasn't all that he was wearing. He was wearing one of L's baggy shirts instead of one of his own. "And why the hell am I wearing your shirt?"

"We are wearing them so I can ensure you won't escape. I couldn't afford having you reveal my existence to the task force," L replied absentmindedly, typing on the laptop that sat in front of him. "And you are wearing my shirt because your shirt was covered in blood and I figured you wouldn't want to continue wearing it." The insomniac moved his gaze back at Light. "Speaking of which, who shot you?"

So blunt. Did L always have to be so blunt? "Matsuda," Light sighed. "I'm surprised I didn't die of blood loss, he shot me at least three times."

"It's a good thing Matsuda doesn't have good aim, or the outcome would have been a lot worse," L shut his laptop and leaned back on the mattress. His legs slowly unbent and stretched out. He appeared unusually exhausted. "Watari hired expert doctors. Your wounds should be healed in a week or so..."

Light tipped his head. "Are you feeling alright, Ryuzaki? You seem oddly tired. Was it from dragging me up the stairs earlier?"

"Not physically tired, more emotionally tired, Kira-kun," L sighed. "You have no idea how scared I was when you lost consciousness. I've never been that terrified, not ever. And what's concerning me even more is that I have no idea why I was afraid."

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><p><strong>So, how did I do? c: This my first try at a chapter LightxL story, and I've got to say, I'm pretty excited about writing it! :D <strong>

**Please leave a review and tell me how I did. c: Your reviews give me the motivation to continue! **


	2. A Plan

**Thank you, those who reviewed my first chapter. Here's the second chapter, enjoy!**

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><p>"Quick- he ran this way!" Aizawa growled, rushing after the blood trail on the sidewalk.<p>

"Aizawa, I shot him at least three times. We don't need to rush!" Matsuda exclaimed, struggling to keep up with his teammate.

Aizawa shot him a glance. "That's not what I'm worried about. Light is very clever, he could escape just about anything. Hell, he's lied to us since we met him!"

"I still can't believe it. I wanted to believe Light was innocent, but I always had a doubt in my mind. After all, Ryuzaki did suspect him over anyone else."

"Ryuzaki…" Aizawa muttered the name under his breath, his voice masked with a mix of grief and anger. "I won't let Light get away with this! He was responsible for your death, and I promise to avenge it."

Aizawa followed the blood trail into an abandoned warehouse, but to his dismay, the only thing it led to was a small pool of blood on the stairs. "Dammit," he breathed. "I should have known the bastard would've gotten away."

"But.. How?" Matsuda asked, observing the pool of blood. "It appears that he vanished in thin air."

"Matsuda, _please._" Aizawa sighed. "We have to be realistic and explore the possibilities."

"Maybe he found something to stop the bleeding so he wouldn't leave a trail?" Matsuda suggested.

"Unlikely. Light has lost a lot of blood at this point, he couldn't have gotten out of this warehouse without the assistance of someone."

"So you're saying someone helped him?" Matsuda exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"Yes," Aizawa walked away from the blood, holding his head in his hands. "He's most likely at a hospital if someone did help him. We need to check all the hospitals in the area and go from there."

Matsuda nodded, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "There's nothing we could have done. What's important now is that we make sure Light sees justice for all the murders he committed."

Aizawa nodded slowly, turning his head to give Matsuda an understanding glance. "Let's start searching then."

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><p>L toyed with the piece of layered shortcake that sat in front of him, rolling a ripe-looking strawberry under his fork. He had been living with Light for about a week now, and he couldn't say it had been the most pleasant experience. The two had bickered constantly over the smallest things, which led L to believe it was his presence that made Light uncomfortable. He couldn't say he blamed him. For nearly six years, Light had believed and accepted that L had died via heart attack. Seeing L for the first time in a while.. Light must have thought he had seen a ghost. Scratch that- Light did look like he had seen a ghost. And to think he wasn't pale enough from blood loss.<p>

But what made Light more edgy, what L thought _really _bothered him the most, is the fact that he viewed Light as two separate beings. Light had become Kira's shadow and was slowly fading away. But L had a plan. A plan to get Light back. It was still roughly made and he was unsure how he was going to accomplish the task. But if he succeeded… He finally penetrated the strawberry's surface with his fork, bringing the delectable fruit up to his mouth and shoving it in. He chewed thoughtfully, the delicious sweet juices of the strawberry filling his mouth.

Just as he swallowed, he heard the shower turn off. He averted his gaze to the bathroom door, waiting for Light to step out so he can attach the handcuff to his wrist once more. He knew if Light got the opportunity to escape, he would. And the first thing he would go after was the Death Note, which is why L had to make a point to keep himself chained to Light.

"L, I have some news." Watari's voice came through the laptop that sat in front of the detective. His attention moved to the screen, which displayed an English style 'W'.

"Watari, please call me Ryuzaki. I can't take the chance of someone overhearing it. And what news are you speaking of?"

"My apologies, Ryuzaki. I just got a tip that the task force has checked all the local hospitals and police stations for information on Light Yagami. They appear to be very intent on finding him."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he sighed. "Do you know of their current location?"

"To my understanding, they are still using the headquarters you built, sir."

"Thank you, Watari. If you find any more information, please share it with me."

"Understood."

L turned towards the bathroom as Light came out wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. He strolled over to the bed, taking a seat at the end of it. "Kira-kun, could you please put some clothes on? It is quite distracting with you wearing only a towel."

Light sighed. "I have no other clothes, Ryuzaki. And I'd rather not wear yours."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter, Kira-kun, unless you would like to go nude which I'm sure would be as uncomfortable for me as it would for you. I will have Watari purchase some clothing for you, but please in the meantime wear mine."

"I've had to wear your clothes for nearly a week," Light groaned, walking over to the closet. "I'd like to have my own choice of attire back."

"Is Kira-kun saying he dislikes my choice in clothing?"

"Well I don't like it." he replied flatly, slipping a white, baggy shirt over his tan, muscular frame.

L simply snorted in response. This was a prime example of bickering over the smallest things. Though Light took a greater interest in his appearance than L did, he really didn't see why it was relevant to make it a point that he dislikes L's clothes every time he went to dress himself. After all, it's not like anyone is going to see him unless he wants to look nice in front of Watari or the hotel cleaning staff. "The task force has already started looking for you," L said, changing the subject. "They have checked every hospital and police station in the area."

Light slipped on a pair of L's faded blue jeans after putting on a pair of white boxers before joining L on the bed. "It doesn't surprise me," L fastened the cuff on Light's wrist as he sat down, Light giving L an annoyed look as he did so. "We didn't exactly leave off on a positive note, you know."

"Yes, I know that. I found you with those bullet holes in you, after all. You must have said something they disagreed with quite strongly." L eyed Light's face, noticing a flicker of emotion pass through his eyes. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone. He sighed before continuing. "Anyway, I told you that to remind you we must not leave the hotel room at all costs. The task force has most likely recruited more members to help search, which means we must assume that they can be anywhere in public."

"I understand, Ryuzaki," Light replied unenthusiastically. "But surely you can't expect us to hide in a hotel forever?"

"I'm not expecting to, Kira-kun. All we have to do is distract the task force with something that is greater than apprehending you."

"You sound like you have an idea, Ryuzaki." Light commented.

"Yes, I think I know something that might work. But you must agree to the conditions, since it involves you." _If this works…_

Light hesitated, giving him a suspicious glance. He appeared to ponder the possibilities for a moment before replying to L. "What conditions?"

"Surrender your Death Note."

L noticed that Light's eyes narrowed upon hearing his response. "Ryuzaki, the task force already knows I'm Kira. Giving up the memories of my Death Note will not change anything."

"Of course not. But you have a Shinigami, do you not? They come with the Death Note, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't see what that has to do with what we are talking about," Light replied, looking more suspicious.

"Before you came and told me to put you in confinement, you made a plan to get your Death Note back after your cleared your name, correct?"

"…Yes…"

"How did you go about doing this?"

"I gave Misa's Shinigami her Death Note and told her to give it to someone who was greedy and would abuse the power of the Death Note so that I'll easily get it back. Then I buried my Death Note so that when I got my memories back, I could get it back. Then, while I was in confinement, I surrendered my Death Note to erase my memories and make myself appear innocent." Light finished, looking somewhat guilty after confessing to the detective.

But L wasn't bothered by the confession. He had always thought that everything Light had said had happened, he just had to get Light to confirm it. "Just as I thought… Kira-kun, I'll need you to do something similar to what you did then."

"And what would that be?"

"Ask your Shinigami to give your notebook to someone who is both intelligent and supports Kira. A new Kira will catch the attention of the task force and they'll focus on capturing the new Kira instead of the old one."

Light seemed to consider this, thinking over L's plan in his head. "That could work," he said finally. "The problem is, my Shinigami isn't one who is easily reasoned with."

"Could you please try, Kira-kun? If this works, the task force shouldn't focus on you as much, which can give me to time to figure out what we'll do next."

"I can try…" Light replied, his tone uncertain. "But you won't be able to see my Shinigami, so you won't know what's being said."

"I know that."

"Also, if I get my Shinigami to agree to the terms, tell me everything after my memories are erased."

"I was already planning on doing that, Kira-kun," L promised, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Could you please summon your Shinigami now?"

"Yes, of course.." Light murmured.

L placed a finger in between his lips, watching with interest as Light summoned his Shinigami. "_Ryuk!"_

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know what some of you are probably thinking, this is an overused idea. 'Light gives up death note, L and Light live together happily forever'. Just bare with me, it isn't what it looks like. ;D <strong>

**Tell me how I did by leaving a review! Like I said before, nothing motivates me more than seeing you guys enjoying my stories. c:**


	3. Friendship

**Thank you, those who reviewed Chapter 2. Here's Chapter 3, enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>Ryuk<em>!" Light called, trying to summon his Shinigami.

After a moment, the black Shinigami appeared at the foot of the bed smiling wide with that creepy, toothy grin he always seemed to wear. His body shook slightly as he let out a low laugh, eyeing Light and L's matching clothes. "Look at you two, you could be twins."

"Shut it, Ryuk," he muttered. "I need to talk to you about something serious."

He blankly stared at Light with his red, pupil-less eyes, tipping his head to the side in confusion. "What is it, Light?"

"I know you said you weren't on my side in any of this, but please be. Just this once."

"Why would I want to do that?"

Light mentally sighed. He knew Ryuk, so he knew this wasn't going to be a simple task. He looked at L at the corner of his eye. He was staring at him with great interest, a finger placed between his lips. Those wide, calculating eyes watching his every move, his ears catching every word. Light felt his body prickle with annoyance, but if it was going to get the task force off his back, he figured it was worth it.

"You came to Earth because you were bored, right?"

"Yes, you humans tend to amuse me greatly. Why do you ask?"

"As you probably already know, Ryuk, the task force has recently found out that I am Kira, so I can no longer play that role. Don't you think hanging around in a hotel with L and I would be a little boring?"

"Well it doesn't sound like entertainment."

"Exactly. Which is what you will be doing. Unless… You let me ease your boredom?"

The Shinigami stared at Light, his pupil less eyes sparking with interest. "Hyuk, hyuk… Where are you going with this, Light?"

"Let me surrender my death note," Light noticed Ryuk's eyes widen slightly at that statement. _"_Then you give it to someone who you think has similar intelligence to me to play the next role as Kira. Since their intelligence would be like mine, surely they won't bore you. And it gives you something to do besides hanging around here."

"Y'know this Kira thing is getting a little old. Plus why should I do what you say anyway?"

Light huffed, glaring at his Shinigami with impatience. "I'm the one who cured your boredom in the first place, you don't trust me to keep you entertained?"

"It's not that it would bore me, it's that I don't want you choose who the death note goes to. Rem might have been more lenient, but you should know me by now, Light."

"Yes, Ryuk, I do know you. Remember what happened when you went without apples?"

"Yeah, it wasn't fun," the Shinigami said bluntly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because unless you agree to my terms, you won't eat an another apple. And that could be as long as my lifespan."

Ryuk's blank stare focused on Light for a few moments. "You humans really like to torture a Shinigami, don't you?"

"I thought you found us amusing, Ryuk?" Light smirked.

"Fine, I'll do it, Light," the Shinigami sighed. "Happy?"

Light grinned at his victory against Ryuk. But at that moment… Did his Shinigami smirk slightly? Light mentally shrugged, putting the thought behind him. "Very. Give me a moment."

He turned to the detective who had been listening to the whole conversation. Well, at least Light's side of it. "He says he'll do it, Ryuzaki. Anything else?"

He saw L perk up slightly, like he was surprised Light was able to accomplish it. But he replied in his normal tone, "No, those are the only terms. Surrender your Death Note now, the sooner the better."

Light grumbled at L's response, turning back to his Shinigami. "Okay, Ryuk. I'm ready."

"Alright, Light. See you later." Ryuk replied simply, turning and walking through the wall.

And as he disappeared, so did the memories. He looked around the hotel room, blinking in confusion. "Ryuzaki, forgive me.. I forgot exactly why we were here."

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><p>(switching to L's POV)<p>

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><p>L blinked in surprise as he heard Light speak to him. <em>It actually worked.. But just in case. <em>"I'm not sure. Why are we here, Kira-kun?"

"L, I told you, I'm _not _Kira!" the young man yelled angrily.

The detective placed his finger, which he had removed from his mouth earlier, back at his lips. It could simply be an act, of course. L had to ask more questions to make sure Light had truly lost his memories.

"Why were you shot?"

"It was an accident, Matsuda wasn't trying to shoot me," Light replied. "Why do you ask, Ryuzaki?"

_Interesting… He's acting exactly like he did when he lost his memories before. _"Who is Near and why were you meeting him last week?" L asked, his hard obsidian eyes burning holes through the confused brunette.

"Near is your successor. We were meeting each other to exchange information about the case. Ryuzaki, why are you asking all these questions?"

"Do you remember that I died?" he asked, ignoring the other man's question.

"Yes, but you faked it for some reason. You took me here to let me rest before returning to the task force. By the way, where are they? They would be happy to see you after a few years, Ryuzaki." Light laughed, unaware of the true meaning behind him being there with the detective.

L narrowed his eyes. It appeared it had worked, Light was no longer Kira and had no memories of being Kira. Unless he was putting on a good act, which would be highly unlikely. Besides if that was the case, L would find out eventually. "You're probably right… Light-kun," L smiled faintly from saying his friend's true name. "Listen, what I'm about to tell you might shock you so please hold any questions until I finish."

Light blinked. "Uh, sure Ryuzaki. What is it?"

L began to tell Light the entire story of the brunette being a mass murderer, and he could tell by the looks of horror the young man was giving him that Kira truly was gone. Upon finishing, L watched as Light looked down at his hands, tears streaming down his face. "I c-can't believe I…," Light choked, his voice shaking with emotion. Then, in a much firmer voice, he cried, "No! I won't believe it! You're just trying to get me to confess to being Kira!"

"Light-kun, if that was the case, I would go about it on a much different approach. I would get a third party to confirm my story, but unfortunately those who witnessed these events currently want you dead. So I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me." L replied, remaining calm despite Light's emotional reaction.

Light's pupils narrowed as he clutched his own brown hair. "This can't be true…" he whispered. "I can't be Kira..."

"I wish you weren't," L sighed, his eyes glued on his laptop's screen. "But at least we can say you aren't Kira _anymore_."

L's eyes widened as Light grabbed his shoulders roughly, turning his body towards the murderer. "I know my actions, if I truly am Kira, were unacceptable. But I would never kill anyone. Sure there's plenty of people the world could do without, but I couldn't imagine myself stooping to their level," Light insisted, staring intensely into L's shocked black orbs. "Please believe me."

_He's really trying to convince me he isn't Kira… However, trying to convince him he is Kira would just be a waste of time. He's in a very severe state of denial. It's best to just agree with him for now._

"Light-kun, I know this might be too much to handle for you at the moment. I know you wouldn't kill anyone now, but if you had Kira's power again, I think you wouldn't be above using it," the detective replied in his usual tone. "As I said, you aren't Kira anymore. You're Light now, and hopefully it will stay that way."

Light frowned, and L noticed acceptance reflecting in his eyes. Then, wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around the detective's shoulders and collapsed into him. L felt Light's head rest on his shoulder, feeling his hot breath on his neck.

L blinked owlishly, frozen as he felt the brunette hug him. He hadn't been hugged since he was a child, and he certainly didn't expect to get one from Light. Unsure of what to do, he slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around Light's body, mimicking the other man's embrace. Time seemed to stop at that moment, their bodies so close L could feel Light's pounding heartbeat. It was strange kind of closeness, and it stirred feelings inside of L that he really couldn't describe. He unknowingly tightened his grip on Light at the feel of Light's breath, chills running down his spine.

He felt the murderer pull away after what seemed like an eternity. The detective moved his hands back onto his bony knees, warily watching Light's every move after the unexpected hug. Light leaned back on the bed, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against the headboard.

"Why did Light-kun hug me?" L asked after a few moments of silence.

Light shrugged simply, his eyes still closed. "It was just a friendly gesture, Ryuzaki. Me trying to say, 'even though we were enemies, we can start over as friends', so to speak." he explained.

"I see…" L murmured in response. "Start over as friends…"

"Is that a problem?" Light asked, opening his eyes to look at L.

"Not at all. After all, I have always considered Light-kun my friend." L felt the corners of his mouth pull up slightly in a polite, timid smile.

Light smiled, closing his eyes once more. "Goodnight, Ryuzaki."

_Yes, I have always considered Light-kun my friend. It seems my plan worked, Light is no longer Kira. _L thought, watching Light sleep. He seemed so peaceful and innocent when he slept. But even though Light didn't have the memories anymore, L knew those hands had killed. Would he be able to put it behind him? He shifted uncomfortably, turning back to the cake he had been eating earlier. He lifted the silver fork with his thumb and index finger, breaking off a piece of the shortcake and bringing it up to his mouth. _The task force won't simply put Light behind them, that much I'm certain. If we're going to avoid the police, we might have to take drastic measures… But first I should wait for the task force's reaction to a new Kira._

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading Chapter 3! Now things will start getting interesting. :D <strong>

**Please tell me how I did by leaving a review!**

**Note: I had all chapters up to this point finished, I just had to review them and fix any errors. Chapters will come in a little slower now, but I will try to have one released every three days. Thanks!**


	4. Missing

**Here's chapter 4! As always, thank you those who have reviewed, and thank you any silent readers who are enjoying the story so far! Enjoy!**

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><p>Several figures gathered around a small computer screen in the main room of the Task Force Headquarters. The third generation L, also known as Near, crouched in a black office chair in front of the screen. He twirled a lock of his white hair in his fingers, carefully examining the findings on the screen. The figures were the combined members of the SPK and the Task Force, who decided to join forces after Light went missing.<p>

"What do you think, Near?" Anthony Rester, the second in command of the SPK, asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well, we haven't found a lot of evidence yet," Near started, grabbing his Kira figure and putting it in front of him. "But I think we can all come to the conclusion that Light Yagami is alive, since no body has been uncovered. Therefore, since we found that he hasn't been to a hospital, someone who has, or knows someone who has the ability to treat his wounds must have found him."

Matsuda frowned. "But that could be anyone! How do we narrow down who it could be?"

"We can't," Near replied simply, his eyes not leaving the figure in front of him. "But what we can do is label Light as a missing person."

"Report him missing…?" Matsuda asked, confused.

"Yes. We won't mention that Light Yagami is Kira, but instead offer a large sum of money for someone who can find missing Light for his concerned 'family'. We include a photo of him, his age and descriptions regarding his appearance."

"Oh, I see! And then whoever has him will turn him in for the award!" Matsuda exclaimed, his face beaming with excitement at the plan.

"Good work, Near," Anthony said, nodding his head in approval. "This just might work."

"Thank you," Near replied in his usual monotone and began to stack a pile of dice that sat by the Kira figure. "And if no one turns him in, we can either assume Light is no longer hiding, or he is with someone who knows he's Kira and is trying to protect him."

"But who would do that? We've already checked his home, Kiyomi Takada is dead, and Misa Amane was brought into custody the day after Light went missing. He doesn't have any other accomplices." Matsuda protested.

"If we don't get a reply from someone regarding Light Yagami within two weeks, we will assume he has escaped or is with someone who is trying to protect him," Near repeated. "I'm not saying we know who it is, but it narrows it down."

The white-haired boy spun his office chair around, facing the group of people surrounding him. "Aizawa, Matsuda, and Mogi. Since you three have been around Light longer than the SPK members and I, I would like you to make his profile. Please include as much detail as possible, but don't mention anything about him being Kira. Also, make the money offer something extremely high, something you wouldn't refuse."

The task force nodded in unison before stalking off together to begin working.

"Stephen, I want you to investigate the people Light Yagami is closest to," Near ordered, his gaze moving to the dark-haired man. "Come up with a list of possible suspects that Light might have turned to."

Stephen gave a curt nod, before walking over to a computer.

Near began twirling his hair again, his wide eyes falling to the floor. _Light Yagami… Or Kira, considering that name fits you best. You may have thought you have won the game, but I promise with the combined members of the SPK and the task force, you don't stand a chance._

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><p><em>-Two days later-<em>

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><p>"Ryuzaki, something has come up regarding Light. Turn the TV on channel 12." Watari's voice sounded somewhat urgent as it came through the laptop.<p>

Light sat up quickly at hearing Watari's voice, reaching for the remote quickly to turn on the TV.

"Okay, Watari, we'll do so right away." L replied, focusing his gaze on the TV in front of him.

Light turned to channel 12, which was showing the evening news. _The news…_ L thought, placing a finger in between his lips. _Could this be the new Kira?_

"23 year-old Light Yagami has been reported missing by the Japanese police," an anchorwoman reported. L's eyes widened slightly and he heard a noise of surprise escape from Light's lips. A picture of Light appeared on the TV screen as the anchorwoman continued. "Yagami is a young male with light brown hair and eyes. He has a tan complexion and stands around 5'8'' tall. He was last seen January 28th working alongside several detectives in the Kira investigation. Yagami's concerned family has put up a 5,000,000 dollar reward for anyone who knows of his current location. If you have any idea on the whereabouts of Light Yagami, please contact Japanese Police."

_The Task Force is bribing the public for information on Light? _L thought, chewing on his finger thoughtfully. _This is a strange tactic. They must be desperate._

"My family doesn't have that kind of money," Light's voice pulled L from his thoughts. "This has to be the work of the Task Force. They really do think I'm Kira, don't they?"

Light had read L's mind, as always. "They don't _think_, they _know_, Light-kun," L reminded him. He keeps having to remind Light that he is Kira, since the young man is still in denial somewhat. His eyes narrowed. "This is getting dangerous, we might have to move locations soon."

"But, Ryuzaki… We haven't given the new Kira time to surface yet, it's only been a week." Light protested.

"When and _if_ the new Kira does surface, I'm not entirely sure the Task Force will completely turn their backs away from you. If anything, the new Kira will simply be a distraction so that we can plan further. But again, I'm still unsure."

L turned back to his laptop. "Watari."

"Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"Can you please get an apartment for Light and I? The fact that the hotel staff has seen us isn't safe." He kept his voice low just in case anyone was listening outside their room.

"Of course, sir. How quickly do you want this done?"

"As soon as possible… By tonight. Have a private escort arranged as well," L glanced over at Light, noticing he was still wearing his clothes. "And please buy Light-kun a new set of wardrobe. He is uncomfortable wearing mine."

"Yes, I will do so right away."

"Thank you, Watari."

L tilted his head behind him to look at the young man. "We're leaving tonight. You won't have to pack much considering you don't really own anything anymore, but please make the preparations."

"Ryuzaki, is this really necessary?" Light argued, crossing his arms. The chains that connected their wrists jingled as he did so. "The hotel staff has seen us once- maybe twice. You've even made it a point to have Watari clean the hotel room himself instead of the maids. We probably don't have much to worry about."

"The fact that they've seen you at all is a threat, considering the award for your location is a very high one. Humans are a greedy species," L murmured darkly. "A 5,000,000 dollar reward… Even I wouldn't go this far."

Yes, he wouldn't go this far. He's very surprised the task force went so far as to put up such a high bribe for Kira's location. This only furthers their need to stay out of the public eye. L got off the bed and began walking towards the closet. "W-whoa!"

He made it halfway around the bed before L felt a tug on his wrist and was reminded that he was chained to Light. He looked over his shoulder. Light was bent over, his wrist pulled towards him. He could notice that the handcuff was leaving an imprint from pressing firmly against his friend's wrist and he immediately felt guilty. "…Sorry, Light-kun. I forgot we were handcuffed together." L murmured, waiting for Light to get off the bed.

Light crawled across the bed and got off behind the detective, rubbing his wrist. "Apology accepted." he spat sarcastically.

L didn't reply as he made his away over to the closet. He reached into the back of the small space and pulled out a navy blue duffel bag and began stuffing his clothes into it, not bothering to care about folding.

"You know, I could fold those for you…"

L heard Light's voice from behind him. He paused for a moment before continuing.

"It isn't of importance, Light-kun. The will end up wrinkled eventually."

"Yes, but it would make it look a lot neater and make it easier to unpack when we arrive at the apartment." Light argued.

L let out an inaudible sigh. Sometimes Light's OCD tendencies were the hardest things to deal with while living with him. He didn't even want to bring up the time he had accidentally got cake crumbs in the bed from a midnight snack. Or the time Light just couldn't get that _one strand_ of hair right, even though they weren't leaving the hotel room. These tendencies weren't new to L, since the pair had shared a room before, but it was taking him time to adjust to them again.

The detective backed away from the duffel bag with a few shuffles of his feet. "If you really would like to, Light-kun. But we are short on time, so please don't take too long."

L watched as Light kneeled down in front of him and began to pull his clothes out of the bag. First, he began to sort out both the shirts, jeans, and boxers; putting them in three separate piles. Then, he began very carefully folding his shirts, putting them in the left side of the duffel bag. L looked away uninterestedly, chewing on the edge of his thumb.

"Have you ever considered wearing a different color, Ryuzaki?" Light asked conversationally, holding L's baggy white shirt in front of him as he went to fold it.

L moved his attention back on the younger man. "No, fashion has no importance to me, neither does the color of clothing."

"It's a shame, you'd probably look nice in a darker color like black or maybe navy." Light commented, tucking the now folded shirt into the bag.

"Has it ever occurred to you why exactly I dress the way I do?"

Light shrugged, now moving to fold the detective's faded jeans. "I haven't really dwelled on it, so I'd have to say no."

"Well, for one it is quite comfortable but that is only 20% of the reason why I dress like this. Tell me, when you first saw me what was your impression?"

Light paused for moment. "I assumed you were intelligent, but a little on the strange side. I couldn't see exactly how we tied on the entry exams considering you didn't look… Well, sophisticated enough to be my equal. Therefore I automatically thought I was above you."

L nodded in approval, watching Light fold his pants. "That is exactly why I dress the way I do. No one would ever deduce that the great detective L would dress as casually as I do, so no one really pays close attention to me in that sort of way," He began chewing on his finger again. "It's amazing how strongly people judge on appearance."

"Amazing as always, Ryuzaki." Light replied, now moving to L's boxers.

His alias brought up something else in L's mind. _This Task Force knows me only by Ryuzaki. If I have Light calling me Ryuzaki in public, it would look suspicious... Especially if I'm calling him by his name as well. Which means we'll have to come up with new aliases._

"Light-kun, have you ever had an alias before?" _Besides Kira… _He mentally shook his head. He had to put that behind him.

"No, I've never had the need to. Though I've been thinking that if I go into public that I'll need an alias after that news broadcast." Light replied, putting the final pair of L's boxers into the bag before zipping it up in a single, clean _ziiiip._

"Yes," L agreed. "We'll need to come up with new aliases for ourselves before we leave. Behind closed doors we can refer to each other with our normal names, but we must always be careful to use our aliases in public. As for mine, I've decided I'll be called Kioshi Mitsui."

Light nodded and stood up, L's duffel bag full of clothes in his grip. "I'll go by…" He paused to think. "…Satoshi Ohba."

The detective stood up as well, acknowledging Light's new name with a slight nod. "I'll have Watari make the new birth certificates and licenses."

After he finished his sentence, L began to walk back over to the mini refrigerator by the TV, the chain forcing Light to follow. He opened it and pulled out a container of strawberries Watari had bought him, looking at them with content. The detective opened it carefully with just his thumb and index finger, then selecting one of the red fruits at the top. He held it up in front of his face, observing it before popping it into his mouth. He noticed Light was watching him from the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry, Light-kun. Would you like one?" L asked, holding his container of strawberries to Light.

Light blinked in surprise. "No, I'm fine. Strawberries are too sweet for me."

L pulled the container back, looking at Light with black, expressionless orbs. "Really? I normally dip them in sugar because they aren't sweet enough."

"But you eat sweets all the time. It's not a part of my diet." Light replied simply.

"Ryuzaki." Watari's voice interrupted their conversation. The pair turned their gaze to the laptop on the bed. "The preparations have been made. A limo will arrive there within the hour. I'd escort you there myself, but…"

"I understand," L told him. "Thank you, Watari."

Watari's photo and death information had been published in the newspaper. It wouldn't be safe for him to appear in public. Him doing what he did the day L rescued Light was risky enough.

After about 30 minutes of waiting, a knock was heard at the hotel door. L made his way over to the door, opening it with a simple twist of the doorknob. A middle-aged man in a navy uniform stood at the doorway, bowing politely. "Hello, I'm Junichi and I'll be your driver this evening. It'll be a pleasure driving you…"

"Satoshi and Kioshi." L replied bluntly.

"Yes, Satoshi-san and Kioshi-san," the driver finished, bowing again. "Please, come this way, I'll escort you to your limo."

L noticed that the man eyed the handcuffs that linked him and Light rather uncomfortably, but didn't mention anything. _I can't take the chance. There is still a possibility that Light still has his memories and there always will be until a new Kira emerges. I haven't gone through all these efforts just for him to turn into Kira again._

The hotel Light and L had been staying at was an outdoor one and they were on the third floor. L looked over the railing and eyed the black limo they would be riding in. It wasn't too fancy, only slightly bigger than a mini van. But it still got a few looks from others as the passed it, murmuring to each other about the possibility of a celebrity staying there.

They traveled down the concrete path and down two flights of stairs before reaching the bottom. L glanced around warily, hoping no one was paying close attention to them. If someone had seen the news an hour before, then they would recognize Light. He tilted his head slightly to look back at the brunette. Light was hanging his head down, glancing around suspiciously from the corners of his eyes. _Good, he's trying to hide his face. And hopefully people will be giving me odd glances, not Light._

Their escort opened the back door of the limo politely and took L's bag out of Light's hand as they climbed in. The seats were a comfortable leather, L noted, as he settled himself onto the seat in his normal crouch. Light sat down normally beside him, crossing his arms and looking ahead. The driver closed the door and walked around the back of the vehicle to the driver's door. "Until a new Kira emerges, always attempt to hide your face in public," L muttered quietly. "I know you probably already thought of this, but I decided to tell you anyway. The fact the driver saw us just now-"

L stopped talking as the driver opened the door and entered the vehicle. He glanced at Light who acknowledged his words with a slight nod. The car started with a twist of the key and pulled out a of the hotel parking lot moments later. L glanced outside, observing his surroundings as they drove down a highway. _I need to figure out exactly how to keep the task force from looking for Light. And the fourth Kira Light's shinigami promised is taking rather long to show up. __What if Light is just acting? What if he's just waiting for a window to escape? _He eyed Light from the corner of his eye, moving his gaze down to the chain that linked them. Is that all that's keeping them together right now? The detective looked down to the floorboard, shuffling his barefeet over each other. _Only time will tell._

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><p><strong>Finally! I can start taking this story somewhere. xD If you've put up with the three chapters of basically introduction, then you'll finally start seeing some sort of action from now on.<strong>

**Tell me what you thought by leaving a review, as as always! ;D **


	5. Where's Misa?

**Sorry it's taken so long, I had writer's block. u_u This chapter is probably rather weak because of that, but I hope you enjoy it anyway~**_  
><em>

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><p><em>Ugh… The news is so boring! <em>A dark haired girl shuffled her feet, watching the screen absentmindedly. She was laying belly-down on her bed, her feet kicking against each other rhythmically. She was lucky she was allowed to have a TV at all. Most of the children there at Whammy's didn't get TVs, Roger was just lenient with her because she was number one after Near and Mello left. Not like being number one mattered, though. Now that L was dead, the rankings didn't matter. Near took L's place, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't be nearly as good as L. The white-haired boy had always sulked around the orphanage, mumbling to himself and playing childish games with his toys. And when he wasn't doing that, he was solving the same puzzle he solved a million times before. The brunette wasn't going to lie; he scared her. "Where's Kira lately?" she mused to herself. "The coward hasn't shown his face in quite some time. Did the police scare him off?"

The teenager sighed, rolling over to her back and staring at the ceiling. After she finished her sentence, the girl felt something brush across her arm. _Huh? _She pushed her dark brown locks out of her face and went to scratch the area her arm was touched.. She then froze in shock. A tall, ugly black creature hovered in the middle of her bedroom, holding piece of lined paper in its sharp nails. Its yellow eyes were bulging out of its dark gray face, red pupils staring blankly at her. Its mouth was pulled into a twisted, toothy grin. "Hello, Raven." the creature cackled evilly.

The young woman sat up quickly, her bright blue eyes fixed on the other creature's. "How do you know my name?"

"Can't tell you that," he replied. "I'm only here to make a deal with you."

Raven hesitated. As much as this strange creature scared her, she was intrigued. "What kind of deal?"

The creature's body shook in laughter, before pulling out a small black notebook. He held it out in front of him. "You can have this notebook, or my eyes."

"Why would I want your eyes?" the brunette retorted.

"Oh, you don't get my actual eyes. Just the power that comes with them."

"Power…?" Raven's face lit up with interest. "Can you elaborate?"

"Sorry, you're just going to have to choose. I can't tell you anything." he replied blankly.

"…Is this some sort of joke?" she demanded, her gaze fixed on the notebook he was holding out.

"Nope, no joke. You should also keep your voice down, you're the only one who can hear or see me."

Raven examined the black demon-creature, her eyes narrowed. _Who… Is this? A better question would be what is it. I've never seen anything like it. But I do kind of like the idea of a power.. Maybe it can help me catch Kira. Or more…_

"Alright, fine," she huffed. "I'll take the eyes."

The creature erupted in a fit laughter that lasted for a few moments. "Forgive me. I'm just thinking about how amusing this is going to be."

Raven blinked, focusing on the TV. Names and numbers hung above the new reporter's heads. "What did you do?" she hissed, whipping towards the cackling creature.

"You have the eyes of a Shinigami now. You can see people's names and lifespans. Oh yeah, and my name is Ryuk. And I wouldn't mind it if you gave me an apple."

"Ryuk, huh…" Raven muttered, examining the Shinigami carefully before chuckling. "Alright, I'll get you an apple. But answer a few more questions first."

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><p>L and Light arrived on time at their new apartment in Tokyo. The apartment was already fully furnished, thanks to Watari, and Light had a set of his taste in clothing. He even took the time to fill the refrigerator with L's favorite sweets. "Wow, Watari really knows how to prepare."<p>

L chewed on his index finger. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

The apartment consisted of a kitchen, a bath, a living area, a dining area, and a bedroom. It wasn't very large, but that wasn't important. Light collapsed on the plush couch in their living area, turning on a flat screen TV. After only a few moments of watching the news, he felt the chain tugging against his wrist. Light looked up and watched as L began to walk towards the kitchen, pulling his wrist forcefully. He huffed irritably, grabbing it and stopping L in his tracks. "Ryuzaki, I'm not going anywhere. These handcuffs aren't necessary."

L paused, standing there for a while. Light began to wonder if he said something wrong. As even more moments passed on, Light gave a small tug on the chain, snapping L back into reality. "Oh, Light-kun. I apologize."

"It's fine. Now about the chain…" He rattled it loudly for emphasis.

"I'd prefer it if you wore it." L replied bluntly, pulling Light off the couch and towards the kitchen with L.

Light's eyes narrowed. "Why? I have no where else to go. All of Japan is probably looking for me."

"It's just a safety precaution, Light-kun." L said as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a fancy-looking strawberry cheesecake. He cut two slices, one for him and one for Light. He then proceeded to make them both a cup of tea, filling one glass to the brim with sugar cubes. He guided Light over to a small kitchen table to eat their snack.

Light was less enthusiastic about his cake than L was, mostly because he didn't really like sweets. He toyed with it, rolling a strawberry around before penetrating it and bringing it to his mouth. By then, L had already devoured half of his treat. Light shook his head. "I don't see how you do it."

L chewed ignorantly. "Do what, Light-kun?"

"You eat like a couch potato, yet you keep the physique of something between a normal weight and a starving child." Light replied, bring a small chunk of cake to his lips.

"I've found that you don't gain much weight as long as you burn calories using your brain." L stated matter-of-factly, scooping up his last bit of cake.

Light remembered when he had said the same thing to Misa all those years ago and felt a wave of nostalgia rush over him. Then a thought dawned on him. _Misa. Where is she? I haven't heard anything about her in a while… And knowing her, she would be searching the globe trying to find me. _"Hey, Ryuzaki, do you know where Misa is?" Light asked, turning to the detective who had begun to eat from his plate.

"No, I can't say I do." L answered.

Light frowned. "She hasn't been featured in any of the recent magazines and she hasn't appeared on TV. Doesn't that strike you as abnormal?"

"Perhaps she's taking a break?" L suggested, breaking another piece of Light's cake off.

Light shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think the Task Force is involved."

"Are you worried about her?" L asked, his wide eyes watching him blankly as he bit into a strawberry.

"It's not that I'm worried. It's just that Misa isn't involved in all of this, she's innocent." Light replied, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair.

"She was involved, Light-kun. There's no doubt in my mind that Misa Amane was the second Kira." L told him as he sipped his sugar-loaded tea.

"Then she was controlled by me." Light said hesitantly, but firmly. "If Misa still had Kira's power, she would be killing. But she isn't."

"Yes, Amane did lose her memories like you did…" L murmured thoughtfully. "Are you wishing we try and find her?"

Light winced. The rising model had been quite a burden on him. She was very loud and clingy and insisted that she loved him, even though they had nothing in common. But Light couldn't help but feel guilty for letting Misa get captured like that, especially if he caused it. "…Yes, I suppose."

Light noticed that L had frowned at his response, clearly not wanting to go through the work of retrieving the blonde. "Light-kun, I understand what you are saying. But I don't think there will be any easy way getting to Amane. Locating her will have to wait."

"What if I had gotten captured?" Light argued as his eyes challenged the insomniac. "Would you have waited?"

L's gaze fell to the floor. "Light-kun, that is a different situation. I faked my death to save you, not Misa-san."

"I don't care." Light snapped, his tone serious. "Misa got captured because of me. I was given a second chance, so should she."

"You're being serious about this, aren't you…" L murmured quietly, stirring his tea with his finger.

Light nodded. "Yes. We don't have to keep her with us, but I don't want her to be in prison."

"…If she is in prison, then there won't be any way of retrieving her. But if the task force his still holding on to her, then we have a chance." the sugar addict sighed after a moment as he chewed on his index finger.

Light smiled slightly as he sipped the rest of his tea. "Thank you, Ryuzaki."

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><p>Misa stomped her feet- or attempted to. She was strapped to a chair, much like she had been before when L had captured her. She had the same black blindfold over her eyes, leaving her unaware to her surroundings. "Misa isn't Kira!" she cried, struggling against the restraints. "Release me, I have to find Light! He's probably worried sick!"<p>

A synthetic voice came over the speakers, chilling her to the bone. It reminded her of L. "Light was confronted with being Kira. Misa Amane, do you know anything about this?"

Misa's eyes widened underneath the blindfold. _Light… Kira? No, it couldn't be. They're lying. Not that it matters, though. I adore Kira almost as much as Light. _"Light isn't Kira, we live together and he hasn't once done anything suspicious." Misa retorted. "Now release me, this game is getting old! You're almost as bad as L, tying me up like this. Are you a pervert too?"

"A pervert?" the voice echoed. "No, I am not. As for releasing you, I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, you're suspected of being the second Kira. We have a lot of evidence against you."

Misa groaned. "That again? That's what L tied me up for too, but he released me. Because Misa isn't Kira!" She screeched the last sentence, continuing to writhe underneath the straps.

"L provided impressive evidence against you, he just never got around to testing it because he was killed by your fiancé." the synthetic voice sounded very calm as it spoke to her. "Amane, if you are faking, please drop it. Your confinement like this will drag on until you give us answers. Now I will ask you again. Do you know anything about Light being Kira?"

"No, I live with Light and I know he hasn't done anything that has to do with Kira!" Misa cried. "Why can't you believe me?"

Near thumped his fingers against the desk as he spoke with Misa. He was growing more and more frustrated as the conversation continued, becoming convinced that she had once again lost her memories. But unlike L, he didn't want to let go of her that easily. "Roger," he spoke in a low monotone as he watched Misa's movements. "Has Stephen come up with a list yet?"

Roger was like a Watari to Near. He assisted him and cared for him, even paying for the expensive price of all his toys. "Yes. He says the people closest to Light were the task force members and Misa Amane. Light didn't go out much so he didn't have many friends."

Near's eyes narrowed. "I see… Let's take the time back before L died."

Roger raised an eyebrow. "Before L died?"

"Yes. Did he have any friends then?"

He heard Roger and Stephen quietly conversing behind him. Grabbing the microphone in front of him, Near pressed a button before speaking. "Misa Amane, who all has Light established relationships with?"

"Only me!" came the high pitched shriek. "We're engaged, after all. Light wouldn't cheat on me."

Near rolled his eyes. "No, I mean on a friend level." he explained.

"Oh." Misa paused, thinking it over. "He never really leaves the apartment unless he's with me. The closest he's ever gotten to people was the task force. He's always so busy!"

Near frowned. Just what Stephen had said, only Misa and the task force. He swiveled his chair towards Roger and Stephen. "Have you come up with anything?"

Roger shook his head. "No, the only friendship he established during that time was with L, but he ended up killing him."

"Light befriended L?" Near asked, raising an eyebrow.

"More like an alliance. Probably so the two could pry out more information about each other." Stephen sighed, leaning back in his office chair. "Obviously the friendship didn't matter much since Light killed L in the end."

"Light befriended L…" Near repeated and trailed off, his eyes deep in thought.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you think it deserves it! ;D<strong>


	6. Kisses, Apples, and Finger Puppets

**Hey guys! This one took quicker than I expected, I guess I just got writing-happy. xD Well, I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>"I'm sorry, Light-kun. Did I startle you?" L asked, sitting a few feet away from the brunette. Light was staring at him, wide-eyed, his fingers placed lightly on his lips. When he didn't reply, L frowned, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Light-kun? You aren't replying. If you don't soon, I will have to assume you've gone into shock."<p>

Light gulped, bringing his gaze up to the detective's. "I'm fine." he whispered.

L smiled slightly as he released his grip on his friend's shoulders. "I'm glad. Please forgive me, I have no idea what came over me. As I said before, I seem to have developed small feelings for you, and-"

L was silenced as Light leaned in to press his lips against his in a light kiss. This time L was the one who was shocked. He shivered as Light pulled away, giving the detective a warm look. "That's enough."

L shuffled his feet in embarrassment, looking away and tightening his grip on his knees. Just a few moments before, L and Light were talking about their friendship. This had somehow led to L telling Light he had developed small feelings for him. And somehow in _that _conversation, L had kissed Light. It was certainly a strange experience, but he couldn't say he didn't like it, especially after Light returned the favor. But of course L, being as blunt and straightforward as he was, couldn't help but bring the topic on his mind out into the open. "So does this mean that Light-kun and I are in a more intimate relationship now?"

Light looked down, blushing slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… Maybe we should give it some time, Ryuzaki. I'm still trying to take in all of this."

L nodded, satisfied with his answer. "As you wish."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Light rolled over onto his back. "So, have you found anything on Misa?"

L blinked. Of course. How did he forget to show Light that? "Yes, Light-kun. I actually meant to show this to you. I hacked into the Headquarters' surveillance system. Unfortunately I can't get any further, since the equipment there is state of the art… But take a look."

L pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, causing an assortment of videos to come up. Light leaned over him and focused on a young man with white hair. "Is that Near? What's he doing there?"

"My guess is that the SPK and the Task Force joined together." L said, biting his thumb nail.

Light's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply. "Where's Misa?"

L clicked on a small video square to enlarge it, showing a young blonde woman strapped painfully to a chair. Her head was hung and if you didn't watch for signs of breathing, you would think she's dead. _The same thing I did to Amane… _L mused in his mind. Light gasped in horror. "Is he allowed to do such a thing? This is inhumane!"

"As inhumane as it is, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it. Near controls the police now; what he says goes." L replied blankly, watching his successor in one of the smaller squares.

Light gave him a sad look. "Do you miss being a detective, Ryuzaki?"

"Yes." L said truthfully. "But as long as I was able to save you, my actions have not gone to waste."

The insomniac felt Light place his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe after we get everything straightened out, you can go back. I'm the one in danger, not you."

L brushed his hand away. "It's fine, Light-kun."

Light reached over to the laptop and attempted to turn the volume up, only to find that it was already on. He frowned. "How come we can't hear anything?"

"Audio is saved directly to the Headquarters' data base which, unfortunately, we don't have access to yet."

"We need to hear what Near is saying to Misa, it could be important." Light told him, beginning to type on the laptop in an attempt to hack the security.

L pushed his hands off the keyboard roughly. "If you do that, we will be immediately traced. It's safer to watch and wait for now. In the meantime, I will try and look for a safe way."

L felt a tug on the chain as Light crossed his arms in a disapproving fashion. "We have no clue how long Misa has been locked up. They can throw her in prison any day now."

"Near is like I am. He won't close a case unless he has hard evidence against the suspect. That's why he has Amane strapped up like that, to press a confession. Plus this is the second Kira we're talking about, I'm sure he's wary of giving her movement of her limbs." L murmured through his finger, which he had begun chewing on again.

Light sighed. "I hope Misa doesn't have her memories then."

The detective paused, stirring a cup of sugar-loaded tea with his index finger. He brought that finger up to suck the tea off, the pulled it out to ask Light a question. "Light-kun, when we do rescue Misa, are you two going to get married?"

"I'm… not sure yet. Most likely not. Why do you ask, Ryuzaki?"

"I am just being curious." he replied as he lifted his tea to his mouth. "And considering the fact we kissed each other a few moments ago, we have some sort of a relationship established, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but like I said, I still need time to think about it." Light answered, uncertainty backing his tone.

"Yes, of course." L said quietly.

The two worked in silence for a while after that. There was an uncomfortable tension in the air, the feeling that if one of them opened their mouths, the room would explode. L was continuing to work on gaining access to his old investigation center, but it was extremely difficult. He had installed only the best and most secure security settings, many of these using a counter-hacking mechanism that hacks the hacker back. If that happened, then the task force would have access to L and Light's location and all their work so far would be a waste.

Though a question still hung in L's mind. They had been waiting nearly two weeks for a new Kira to surface, but nothing has appeared. It confused him deeply, considering he was now ninety-five percent certain Light was not Kira. Yet this so-called new Kira that was supposed to appear hasn't surfaced yet. Light did say his Shinigami wasn't easy to reason with, but Light had seemed certain he had gotten through to it. It was true that L did not really care for a new Kira showing up, and that the only reason he got Light to surrender his death note is _to_ get rid of Kira. But the way it's looking a this point, they were in a need of a distraction if he had any hopes of getting into the headquarters. L didn't realize just how powerless he was without the police backing him.

"Any luck, Ryuzaki?" Light asked, breaking the tense silence.

L shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Misa seems to be upset though." He observed the blonde as she raised her head, her mouth wide as it screamed muted words.

Light glanced over at the detective's laptop and sighed. "Any normal human would get upset if they were restrained like that. At least when I went into confinement you only handcuffed me."

"Yes, it must be a huge stress on the psychological part in your brain." L agreed. Then, when Light's only reply was guilty look, he sighed. "Light-kun, don't worry, we'll get Amane out. I'm L, I can get through a mere security system."

Light nodded slowly, but didn't look too convinced. Sighing again, L reached out and grabbed Light's chin and pulled him into a brief kiss. Light looked into L's eyes as they broke away, stunned. L smiled slightly. "Trust me, Light-kun."

* * *

><p>"And this death notebook… It's Kira's method of killing, right?" Raven sat at the edge of her bed, staring up at the Shinigami with interest.<p>

Ryuk stared blankly down at her. "You ask a lot of questions. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to answer some of these."

She held up a ripe apple in her hand, rolling it around to tease the Shinigami. "Come on, Ryukuuu..."

The black Shinigami caved. "Fine, yeah, Kira used the death note to kill. Now gimme the apple, will ya?"

Raven tossed it into the air. Ryuk swooped down, grabbing it with his teeth and chewing on it gratefully. "Oh, yeah," he said messily in between chews. "Don't call me Ryuku. It's girly. And I'm a guy."

Raven waved her hand dismissively before moving to think of more questions. A small pile of apples, that she had snuck out of the cafeteria, sat beside her. She rolled the one closest to her around on the surface of her bed. "So you said that Kira's method of killing _is _the death note, correct?"

"Yeah, why?" Ryuk asked, munching the core hungrily until it was gone.

"You just seem to know a lot about Kira, going by the answers you've given me…" Raven said thoughtfully, picking up a new apple and twisting it in her fingers. "It makes me wonder. …Do you know Kira, Ryuk?"

The Shinigami cackled softly, his face still twisted permanently in the same sinister, toothy grin. Mix it with the darkness of her room and the faint glow of the TV, Ryuk looked like a demon of sorts. "That's a question I'm not too sure I can answer. I'm not allowed to tell other humans who I've possessed."

Raven's face twisted in a fake pout. "But Ryukuu… Kira won't figure it out, will he? After all, you said it yourself. After you give up the death note, you lose all memories. So Kira probably doesn't even remember you."

"You called me Ryuku again." Ryuk stated blankly, ignoring the rest of her sentence.

Raven's pout faded as her face took on somewhat of a smirk. "Fine, Ryuk. Y'know, now that you mention it, the cafeteria is probably missing these apples." She began to put them back in a small backpack beside her. "It's my mistake for thinking you would actually earn them."

"Aww, come on Raven!" Ryuk begged. "I answered all your questions."

"This one question is the most important though." Raven answered simply, slowly dropping the apples in the backpack just to tease the Shinigami.

"Yes, I do know who Kira is." Ryuk admitted. "Now quit dropping the apples like that, you're gonna bruise them."

Raven grinned widely, tossing an apple on her bed towards Ryuk. The Shinigami caught it in his black claws before raising it up to his mouth to bite it with his sharp teeth. "What're you gonna do with this information, Raven?"

The brunette shrugged. "Nothing yet." She fell back on her bed, her dark brown locks falling messily around her head. "But it will be useful at some point. I bet even Near doesn't know some of the stuff you've told me."

She paused, her face full of thought before she opened her mouth again to speak again. "So I can see anyone's name a lifespan? And I can't see the life span of those who own a death note?"

"Yeah, that's how it goes." Ryuk answered, standing over her bed and staring at the bag of apples longingly.

"Interesting…" Raven mumbled. "That will come in handy."

"Really? You don't regret not choosing the death note?" the Shinigami asked.

Raven shook her head. "No, that would make me like Kira."

"Not a fan of Kira?"

Her face darkened. "Of course not. He's a mass murderer." She paused. "And he's probably close to being captured, considering he gave up the death notebook. He wants to look innocent."

"I never said that death note belonged to Kira." Ryuk told her.

Raven smiled. "You know too much about him. Quite obvious, if I do say so myself. And I remember L talking to us about the Kira case a while ago… He asked us if we think some sentence had any meaning. What was it..." She frowned, then brightened up as she remembered. " 'L, did you know that gods of death love apples.'" Raven smirked at her pile of apples. "And I think I know a certain Shinigami that does have a weak spot for them."

"You are pretty smart, aren't you." Ryuk commented, recalling Light's wish to find an intelligent owner. He cackled softly to himself_._ _Sorry, Light. Things aren't going to go your way this time. _

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><p>Near glared at the model on the screen as she panted slightly. She had just screamed at him after he accused her of lying. "Is that all?" Misa growled. "Gonna ask me anything else? Not like I have anything else to do, you pervert."<p>

"That is all." he said into the microphone, which the blonde responded to by thrashing violently in her chair before continuing.

"Light is innocent, and so is Misa! I don't want to go through 50 days of being strapped to a chair again! Would you like it if I did this to you? Huh?"

"When I say death note, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?" Near asked, ignoring her question.

"Kira." she answered immediately, before yelling, "I thought you said you weren't asking anything else!"

"I lied." he said bluntly. "When you think of Kira, who is the first person you think of?"

"What the- I don't know Kira!" Misa protested. "You're even more annoying than L was! Perverted _and _annoying. You've got it going for you, don't you?"

"Amane, your childish insults aren't getting to me." Near said flatly, even though he knew it was just going to by synthetic over the speaker.

Misa smirked. "Obviously they are since you brought them up!"

"You don't seem like Light's type…" Near thought out loud which resulted in an angry outburst from Misa. He ignored her. "How did you two meet again?"

"I saw him in Aoyama, it was love at first sight~" Her tone seemed to lighten a bit, before it lowered. "Why?"

"Love at first sight... No, it was more than that." Near stared blankly at the Kira and Misa finger puppets on his fingers. "You had the Shinigami eyes and figured out Light was Kira that way, and then arranged to meet him. Sadly, this is nothing new..." Near trailed off, twirling his white hair in his fingers that didn't have the puppets on them.

"Please let me go..." Misa pleaded suddenly. "I have to see Light."

"Right now even we don't know where Light is. So I highly doubt you would find him." Near said, still staring at his finger puppets.

Misa hung her head. "This is exhausting. I've been in here for over a week and I've only been allowed one shower. Which is odd, since you like watching me strapped up like this. Watching me shower would be a lot more fun I would think. Right?"

"I'll allow you to take a shower if you can answer another question." Near said monotonously, bringing his gaze up to the screen.

Misa groaned. "Sure, what is it?"

"What was Light's relationship with L?"

"They were friends, I guess. I don't know." Misa shrugged. "Light seemed pretty upset when he died. I felt sorry for him. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'll send someone in there to remove the restraints." Near said stiffly, turning his microphone off.

He continued to twirl his hair. _Why does it bother me that they were friends? Honestly it isn't that unusual; they wanted to get to know each other more since they were enemies, so they became friends. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer... _Near frowned. _I should focus on finding Light. It's too late to worry about L. _

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><p><strong>Trying to keep up with three locations at once! Ahh! I hope you guys liked the little LxLight thing I threw in there. (sorry any people who don't like yaoi, I love that couple too much.) Anyway, as always, thanks for reading! Review if you deem it worthy. C:<strong>

**More info on Raven: She has long, straight dark brown hair that stops almost halfway down her back. Her eyes are a deep blue. Her skin is pale, not quite as pale as L's, but still pale. She is 16, turning 17 very soon and she lives at Whammy's. She wears a purple and black striped shirt, a black jacket, and a pair of faded blue jeans. She also wears a black cross necklace and purple gem earrings. (Just felt like I needed to clarify this, since she's an OC)**


	7. A Break in Security

**Sorry, guys. I know exactly what I want to happen, but for some reason I just can't type it. Ever had that happen to you? u_u If you haven't, I'm jealous.**

**Anyway, here's chapter seven~  
><strong>

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><p><em>Light Yagami…<em>

Near stared angrily at his Kira finger puppet. It had been two weeks without one valid missing report. Sure, there has been thousands of false reports. But not one phone call got him closer to his goal. He knew Light wasn't a fool, and that arresting him wouldn't be easy. Near had taken all the necessary precautions when he thought about how he was going to go about trying to capture his mentor's arch nemesis. But unfortunately for him, every turn was taking him to another dead end.

To make matters worse, Misa Amane still wasn't talking, and her voice was starting to sound like a curse to Near's ears. An annoying noise, constantly reminding him that the only eye witness to Kira's killings had lost all of her memories. The one who knew Light the most couldn't even remember a thing. Near was getting desperate. He knew exactly who Kira was, all he had to do was find him.

"Has there been any more reports?" Near asked emotionlessly, breaking the silence that had fallen in the room. He was sitting on the floor in front of the large screen, which showed Misa strapped to the chair. One leg was pulled up to his chest, which his head rested on, while the other one was folded on the ground. His hand laid on the floor, the finger wearing the Kira puppet curved up to face him. The other fingers were idly twirling his white hair.

"I'm afraid not." came Aizawa's reply from somewhere in the room. "Near, perhaps we she should take another change in action? This isn't getting any where, Light is obviously staying out of public."

"Why don't we just tell them Light is Kira?" Matsuda asked,

Near had been expecting this. The Task Force and SPK were growing rather restless as more and more reports came up to be false, and Near at run many possibilities in his head. That was one of the possibilities.

"If we did that, Matsuda, then the entire public would feel like they are Kira's hostage." Near replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

Of course the white-haired young man would have to explain. He sighed quietly before explaining. "The public was under the impression that Kira can kill with a name and a face. However, when the second Kira emerged the public discovered that Kira didn't require a name in some cases. If the public was told the Kira was among them, then they we be terrified to tell the police if they see him. They would be terrified that Kira would kill them if they turned him in. In other words, the world would go into a mass hysteria and Light would ultimately have the upper hand."

Matsuda scratched his head, his face twisted in a look of frustration. "Yeah, you're right."

"Here's something we can do for now. Alert any secret agent groups in major countries on Kira's identity. Tell them to keep it a secret, but to keep on the lookout for anything suspicious."

"That's all we can do?" Matsuda asked. He seemed slightly disappointed.

"Yes." Near replied emotionlessly. "Light is staying out of public very well. We don't have much more to go on. Unless anyone else can recall people Light was close to?"

"The only friend Light ever really had was L. And like Stephen said before, it probably was more of a love-hate thing, with more hate than love." Matsuda replied, his tone somewhat sad as he remember the raven-haired detective.

Near glared down at his fingers, adding his L puppet on the small, pale appendage beside the Kira puppet. "…I see. Carry out the actions I requested, I will alert you if I need any further assistance."

A few murmurs spread throughout the room as the white-haired teenager heard the task force and SPK members stalk away to resume their duties. He was growing increasingly frustrated. Sure, the members of the SPK and Task Force were of some help to him, but they didn't have a strong mind. They couldn't think things through and carefully analyze things before something to an intelligent conclusion. Most of the time they were oblivious to the obvious obstacles standing in their way. It frustrated Near to no end.

It was through this that Near reached a conclusion. He needed some extra brains to work with them, someone who he can talk to and think things through with. When Near was trying to prove Light was Kira, he had Mello's help. L had told them himself, that if L ever died, they would need to come together as team. Separate, they were only as smart as their mentor. But together, he and Mello had surpassed L and cornered Light. But now that Mello was dead, Near needed someone new to work with. Someone that he could corner Light with again.

"Roger?" Near said, his voice a low monotone.

"Yes, Near?"

"Can you connect me to Whammy's House?" He began to twirl his hair again. "I need to speak with Raven…"

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><p>"Light-kun."<p>

Light felt the raven-haired insomniac shaking him, rousing him from his deep sleep. His face twisted into a scowl. "Mmm… What is it, Ryuzaki? Just because you're an insomniac, doesn't mean I need to be one…"

"My apologies, Light-kun, but I thought you would be interested in knowing that I broke through another wall of the security."

Light grumbled, realizing that L had woken him up for a good reason, and rolled over. L was sitting right next to him. So close, in fact, that if Light rolled over one more time he would be in the detective's lap. L had been slightly protective since their little relationship had started, and didn't like straying too far from Light. It was cute, Light decided. Cute for L.

Light had finally convinced L to take off the handcuffs. Not that he didn't like being chained to his friend, but he needed privacy. Being able to shower and use the restroom without someone watching your every move is something nearly every human being would want, regardless if it was the love of your life watching you or not. And while L had seemed reluctant to unlock the handcuffs, he did. For Light's happiness, he had said. Again, it was cute for L.

Light blinked a few times to allow himself to get adjusted to the light before glancing over at their digital alarm clock. 3:47 AM. Light groaned and rubbed his eyes. "It's late, Ryuzaki. Or early, I should say. Is this new break in the security worth waking me up at these hours?"

"I consider it very important." L replied. Typing was heard as the detective entered in a few codes, causing a long script to start scrolling quickly down the screen. "I hacked the headquarters' main defense system. With a few more adjustments, we will be able to manipulate this to our advantage."

Light blinked. The main defense system? The brunette took in the words scrolling down the screen, his eyes widening as he realized the things they could control. They could turn off the security cameras, turn off the emergency break-in alarms… They could even turn off all the security tests that are required to enter the building. "Wow, Ryuzaki…" Light said as he read the information. "This is amazing."

"Thank you, Light-kun. …You can call me L, you know. I don't mind." L bit into his piece of cheesecake as his wide eyes stared at the words scrolling down the screen.

"It's fine. After all, I wouldn't feel comfortable calling you that if it isn't even your real name." Light replied.

"…L is my real name." the detective murmured, tilting his head back to look at him.

Light let out a light laugh. "Haha, good one Ryuzaki. L is just a title, not a name."

"For me, it is both." The detective looked away. "I was never given a proper name. When Watari found me, that was the only thing I could remember about myself. My last name."

Light raised an eyebrow. "You suffered from amnesia?"

"A mild case, yes," L began stirring a cup of coffee with a spoon, staring into his reflection. "You see, my parents and I got into a car wreck when I was very young. While they suffered major injuries, mine were only minor, aside from my case of amnesia. I crawled out of the car before the paramedics arrived and took off running in a random direction. Watari found me shortly after… And when he asked me for my name, I could only remember my last name. So I just told him L, the first letter to my last name. I never did remember my true name…" L trailed off and stopped stirring, staring into the cup as the tan liquid settled.

"Wow, L…" Light replied, stunned. "That must have been hard to deal with."

"It was hard to deal with the death of my parents, but Watari gave me everything I ever needed. I can never thank him enough for everything he has done for me."

Light reached up and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to comfort him. L looked down at him to give him a small smile before returning his attention to the screen. "Enough about my past, that can be discussed some other time. With this newly found information, I can deduce that there is a eight-three percent chance that we will be able to save Amane within the month."

"That's great, Ryu- err, L," he pulled his hand off L's shoulder. "But how do we get in without them noticing? I'm sure they remember us very well, after all."

"How do you think I went into public during the period after my death? Surely you didn't expect me to hide in one room for six years, Light-kun."

Light tipped his head to the side. "Are you suggesting disguises? Even if we wore costumes, we need to figure out how to get in there without them noticing. If we just waltzed in there, they could capture us and figure out who we truly are."

"I realize this, Light-kun. I'm currently working on a plan that could get us in there undetected…" L brought a finger up to his lip. "I wish your Shinigami had gone through with his promise. A new Kira would be a perfect distraction…"

"I'm sorry, L. I really can't remember anything about me having this so-called Shinigami." Light was still a little sensitive on the whole thing with Kira. He found himself still in denial that he was this horrible person that wanted to kill L so much. L was his friend, he couldn't believe he had such morbid thoughts towards him.

L smiled down at him and grabbed his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "That's alright, Light-kun. That's a good thing."

Light frowned, pulling his hand away. "Why did you rescue me, L? You had every right to just leave me there to die. I betrayed you."

"You didn't betray me. Kira did. And Kira-kun and Light-kun aren't the same people, you've shown me that."

Light smiled sadly. "I don't deserve your friendship, you know."

L turned back to his laptop and resumed typing. "That's nonsense, Light-kun. You're a good person."

_No.. No I'm not… I'm a terrible person. Why can't L see that? _Light's guilt was clawing at his conscious, making him feel terrible. He might not have had his memories, but the mere thought that he had committed the crimes L said he did… L must have truly cared for him. How he cared for a sick murderer like Light was, he would never understand.

Light mumbled something under his breath and rolled back on his back. "L… The security can wait. Relax, lay with me."

L stopped typing and gave Light a questioning glance, which Light returned with a smile. After the two stared at each other for a few moments, L closed his laptop and leaned back on the bed next to the former Kira. L's eye's were curious as he wrapped an arm around Light. He as surprised as Light snuggled closer towards the detective, sneaking out the other's warmth before letting out a tired yawn. "Goodnight, L."

L blinked owlishly before smiling a small smile. "Goodnight, Light-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it was so short, but at least I posted something, right? Fluffy fluff fluff with L and Light at the end. There's going to be some fluff between them every now and then. <strong>

**I realized something. I fail at naming chapters. Random, sorry. But it takes me forever to even think of something suitable. u_u  
><strong>

**Anyway, sorry if this chapter is boring. It's just leading up to what I want to hurry up and get to, which is in the next chapter. So yeah. **

**Review if you like, as always.**


	8. Enter Raven

**Sorry guys. I've been really uninspired for this story. I'm surprised I managed to type this.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 8.**

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><p>Raven hummed a tune to herself as she listened to a song. She was laying on her bed, where she spent the majority of her time, a collections of MP3 players and iPods surrounding her. Many kids at Whammy's had a dysfunction of sorts. It was a common thing for geniuses to have quirks or strange ways of thinking.<p>

Near was addicted to toys and childish objects. Mello had a chocolate obsession. Matt had a knack for technology and video games. And Raven's? She loved music. Any music, really. Japanese music, American music, Korean music… Hell, she even listened to Brazilian or African music. One iPod couldn't hold all of her songs, so she had to get more. She has a total of ten iPods/MP3s, each with a full play list.

Ryuk was sitting on the top bunk watching TV and eating the rest of the apples from the interrogation. Raven didn't need the rest of the apples. If Ryuk told her everything, what fun would it be for her?

The Shinigami curved his body in an unnatural way to bend over and look at her. "Still listening to music?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, trying to read Ryuk's lips. When she failed, she huffed and popped out an ear bud. "Come again?"

"You really like music. I don't see what's so great about it, it's just noise." Ryuk commented, sinking his sharp teeth into a juicy, red apple.

"You really like apples. I don't see what's so great about it, it's just fruit." Raven countered, pausing her iPod and sitting up.

Ryuk chuckled. "Heh heh, good point."

Raven heard footsteps from outside her room, making their way further down the hallway. That was unnatural; it was late at night. 2:30 AM, to be exact. Raven did have a bit of a sleep disorder, but she didn't take it so far as to call it insomnia. And she hated being called an insomniac, though the fairly noticeable bags under her eyes gave her that stereotype quite often. She blinked as the footsteps became louder, stopping right in front of her door. _What is so important this late at night?_

_Knock, knock. _Soft knocks, so the rest of the orphanage wouldn't awaken from the echo.

The dark-haired teenager sighed, sitting up off of her bed and making her way over to the door. She twisted the bronze doorknob and pulled the door open in one move, staring blankly at a middle-aged man in the doorway.

"Hello, Raven," he said politely, bowing. Raven blinked, focusing above his head. _James Emerson_. The new manager of the orphanage's name hung above his slightly bald head in red letters, his lifespan floating below it. _He still has quite a while._ she noted, observing the numbers.

Raven smiled slightly before returning to the straight face she was wearing before. "Yes, James? It's quite late, so I'm assuming this is important."

"Indeed," James nodded, pulling out a silver flip-phone and holding it out to her. "Near wishes to speak with you."

"Near?" Raven echoed, her brow furrowed as she accepted the phone.

James shrugged. "I do not know the circumstances, just that he wanted to talk with you."

She gave him a confused and slightly irritated look before opening the cell phone and bringing it to her ear. James walked away at this point, not wanting to be accused of eavesdropping.

"Near?" Raven greeted warily.

"Yes. Hello, Raven," a monotone voice replied over the other end. "It had been a while."

"Indeed it has," she replied, twirling a dark brown lock of her hair with her fingers, then stopping abruptly when she remembered it's something the successor of L would have done.

"I would love to catch up, but sadly I am calling under more serious circumstances."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "So I figured."

"I see. I am assuming you are quite familiar with the Kira investigation, correct?"

Did he think she was clueless or something? Every single kid in Whammy's knew about the Kira investigation. Every one of them hated or had some sense of dislike towards the vile human that killed their mentor, and for most, hero. Raven was one of those who had looked up to L, and one of those who wanted to avenge him when he died. Sadly, only the successors of her childhood hero were able to do such a thing. Or at least attempt it.

"Of course, Near. I'm sure every child here is," Raven replied impatiently. "Can you please cut to the chase?"

"Patience is a virtue," Near quoted in an emotionless tone, sending a surge of annoyance through her body. "But since I too am wanting to skip to the main point, I will. With the help of the SPK and the Japanese Task Force, we were able to successfully corner and identify Kira."

Raven's eyes widened. _No way… And here I was thinking I was going to provide fresh information to him? He probably knows about everything now. _she thought grimly, before replying in a calm tone, "Really, now? So you have him in custody?"

"Not quite. Unfortunately he has managed to escape." Near's voice had no trace of remorse or disappointment, despite the seriousness of the topic. Raven could imagine him stacking dice or playing with his stupid toys.

"You let Kira escape? That is very unfortunate." she agreed, attempting to sound more interested than she was. "I don't see how I am involved in this, however."

"You aren't yet, but I would like you to be." the albino answered simply.

Raven smirked slightly. "Are you requesting my help, Near?"

"Yes, your assistance would be appreciated," Near said in the same low monotone he always spoke in. Sometimes Raven wondered if the boy was able of feeling emotions. She shook her head, deciding to save that thought for a different day. "You are turning seventeen within this month, correct? We will just have you graduate from Whammy's earlier than usual. That is, if you accept my offer."

"I would love to work on the case with you." Raven decided immediately that she would rather work on the Kira case, now that things have gotten even more interesting. In the current situation, her eyes might be of assistance.

Near's voice wasn't any more excited when it answered, "Excellent, thank you. You will be flying to Japan tomorrow, the arrangements have been made."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You expected me to help you all along?"

"I figured it was more likely that you accept my offer than graduate to a boring life." Raven could almost picture the albino's pasty face twisted into a small, arrogant smirk. It made her irritated. "I will see you tomorrow, then?"

Raven hesitated, her eyes narrowing before she answered, "Of course. Goodbye, Near."

She closed the phone, grinning widely. _My dream… To have the chance to avenge L and all of those murders… It's actually becoming a reality. Forget Near, I'll kill the bastard Kira myself. _

* * *

><p>"Damn it L, quit moving!" Light protested, gripping red lipstick in his fingers firmly as he tried to hold the raven-haired detective's face still.<p>

L blinked blankly. "I do not enjoy lip stick being put on me, and I definitely do not enjoy cross-dressing. Are you blaming me for being upset?"

"No, I'm blaming you for moving so much." Light muttered. "Now keep still."

L and Light had, after a few hours of planning, had come up with a secure operation. Well, not secure. With them being the world's greatest criminal and the world's greatest detective, this plan will never be secure. But they had come up with a decent one that met their standards. Well for the most part.

"The lipstick really brings out your eyes, L." Light said teasingly, sliding the top back on the lipstick.

L didn't look amused. "Not the time, Light-kun. We're about to risk our lives to rescue Misa. I am quite frustrated."

"Come on, L. Good things can come from rescuing Misa." Light replied, trying to sound convincing as he reached for the pale foundation.

L shivered as Light began to rub some cold foundation over his black bags, erasing the countless sleepless nights from his face. "Such as?"

"Well, she would be good with the media." Light started, frowning as he tried to think of positive things. "She probably knows quite a few people, so we might not have to do as much work ourselves…" He rubbed the foundation in firmly all over L's face, evening everything out.

"Is that all?" L deadpanned. "Also, I think that is enough makeup, Light-kun."

"Not nearly enough." Light sighed and pulled out powder with a light color before opening it and patting L's face down with it. L frowned, pouting as Light covered his pale face with a thin layer of powder.

The raven-haired detective eyed the mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow Light was reaching for disapprovingly. "I will get Light-kun back for this."

"Go ahead." Light teased as he began to apply the eyeliner to L's bottom eyelid. L blinked instinctively. The brunette groaned. "Don't blink, you'll make me mess up."

"I apologize that I find a stick of makeup poking my iris painful." L countered, his eyes watering as he trying to keep them open while Light began to apply the eyeliner again.

Light didn't reply as he moved to the upper eyelid, which L found a lot better than the bottom lid. "95 percent chance that I look ridiculous."

Light scoffed as he moved to the other eye. "Please, I'm a natural when it comes to this kind of thing. I wouldn't let you look bad. These colors really work for you."

"Light-kun, you are sounding like a woman." L pointed out, flinching as he tried not blink.

Light frowned. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, L."

"As you wish." L said simply as the former Kira finished putting on the eyeliner.

Next was mascara, which was quickly taken care of followed with eye shadow which took equally as long. Light had chosen an ashy color eye shadow, which complimented L's black orbs well. It started out dark near the eyeball, but gradually faded into a silvery-gray at the outer area of the eye.

The brunette smiled as he closed the eye shadow container. "Done!"

Light held up a small mirror in front of L's face. The detective was wearing a light brown wig that went halfway down his back. The wig was twirled with curls that bounced every time L moved his head. Along with that, he wore an all black feminine-looking outfit with a leather jacket over that. Black tennis shoes covered his pale feet, and his fingernails were coated with a bright red, the same shade as his lips.

L frowned at his reflection. "This is embarrassing and degrading."

Light frowned. He was wearing a black wig that was rather short, stopping a little past his shoulder. He was wearing bright blue contacts, considering one of his noticeable features his chocolate-colored eyes. He wore the same black feminine-looking outfit L was wearing, minus the leather coat. His lips were coated with a natural shade of shiny lip gloss, and his eye shadow was a deep blue that reflected his contacts. You could barely tell he was the same person.

"L, you brought up the use of disguises. And although I agree that this is rather humiliating, it will work. I wouldn't tell it was you if I passed you on the street."

L glanced over the mirror, his red lips pursed his a slight pout. "I could say the same for. But I still do not like it."

Light snickered slightly as he looked at L again. It was rather entertaining seeing him like this, but he was sure that if he pointed it out that it would lead to an argument. So he didn't say anything.

"Well, now that we're ready can we put the plan into action?" Light asked, glancing over at the two laptops. One had the Headquarters' defense system and the other had the security cameras. His gaze landed on the blonde, who was slumped over, most likely asleep considering it was 8:30 AM.

L stood from his crouch to walk over to the pair of laptops. "We will wait for tonight when the majority of the SPK and Task Force have gone home. Let's spend the rest of the day perfecting the procedure."

"As you wish, L." the brunette let his gaze slide over L's body again. "It's hard calling you L when you look nothing like him."

"I can say the same for you, Light-kun." the detective answer, typing on the computer. "Now come over here for a moment, I have something I want to go over with you…"

* * *

><p><strong>Lol. Just picturing L like that... Lol. <strong>**I can really get this moving now, if I get inspired again. I have a lot of different ideas. But I don't want to write them. u_u ****One of them isn't really happy, but it's my favorite. I'm hoping I'll think of a different one before resorting to that one. **

**Also, I realized the story summary has nothing to do with the story. I started this story with a completely different idea than where I'm taking it now. So I changed it. But I think I made it worse. Ah well. -shrugs-  
><strong>

**But yeah, enough of my rambling. Review if you like. **

**A better version of Raven's bio:**

**Name: **Raven Crawley (Goes by Raven Lockhart to the general public.)

**Birthday:** February 26, 1993

**Gender: **Female

**Age: **17 (Basically. She's supposed to turn 17 within the month, so yeah.)

**Hair Color: **Very dark brown.

**Eye Color: **Deep blue-gray.

**Clothing: **Wears a purple and black striped T-shirt over a black long-sleeved shirt. She also wears dark skinny jeans and black converse. For accessories, she wears leather finger-less gloves, a black cross necklace, and purple-stud earrings. She is often seen wearing black ear buds due to her addiction to music.

**Personality: **She can be rather sarcastic and manipulative, and isn't above using dark humor. She is intelligent, placing fourth at Whammy's when Mello, Matt, and Near were still there, and placing first when they left. She doesn't really like Near, and isn't exactly thrilled at working with him. She's more excited about getting the chance to catch Kira. She has a sense of justice, but wouldn't mind resulting to using methods such as the mafia or criminals to help, much like L using Wedy and Aiber. She can be easily irritated or annoyed, and becomes short-tempered when she is. She also somewhat enjoys arguing, just so she can see who will win.

**Blood Type: **O-

**Height: **5'6''

**Weight: **102 lbs.

**Other: **She has the Shinigami eyes, which she got from Ryuk when she was given a choice between them or the death note. She has an addiction to music like Near likes toys or Mello likes chocolate.**  
><strong>


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